The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1887-09-08
CHICKAMAUGA.

SA& SsSS&A itAAA ~ VI AAr
Personal Rscollsctions Of partici-
pant in that Bloody Battle.
The Bravery of the Troops Won it in
Spite of the Inoompetenoy Of
the General.
On the night of Sept. 18th, 1868,
Gen. Greggs' brigade of infantry |
and artillery, composed of the
3rd, 10th, 30th, 4lst and 5Otb
Tenn. reg'ts, Combs battalion OF
Tennessee, 7th Texas infantry and
Bledsoe's Missouri battery, camped
on Chickamauga creek 2 miles
south of Ringold, Ga. 1t had just
come up from Mississippi and had
not recovered from the terrible
fight at Raymond where it fought
Logan's corps for long and dread
full hour, losing 600 men. We
moved early on the morning Of the
18th in the direction of Bragg's
army. Some one brought letters
from home that morning and we
were very glad, as we had not had
letters for months. About six
miles out from Ringold we had
halted from some causes and we
could hear an occasional shot on in
our front. While sitting by the
roadside, jesting and laughing,
characteristic Georgian came from
towards the enemy on a very dilap-
idated Georgia mule. "Oh," he
says, "they are right down thar
on the creek and you'uns willsbe in
to it mighty quick if you so down
thar" We moy ed forward and as
the goober had told US, we found
the yanks on Peavine creek. Here
we met Gen. Forrest who told us
that the enemy had some artilley in
our front and he wanted 1t. Some
fellow said we would make up pc
ny purse and buy him a battery if
he needed one so badly. We wad
ed Peavine creek, up to our waists,
and drove the enemy in front out
of the bottom into the hills. We
had running desultory skirmisb
with them. all the evening of the
18th. l witnessed two scenes that
evening, in their nature wide apart.
While we were wading Chickamau-
ga portion of the 10th Irish ran
into
A YELLOW JACKETS NEST,
and these brave men whose backs
no enemy had ever seen, were al
most demoralized by the sharp
sting of these yellow insects. Col
G. II. Walker of the 3rd seemed tc
enjoy the fun hugely. The othe,
scene was family woman and
her little children, standing in the
road weeping over the ashes of theiI
former home. The yankees burned
her house and everything in it, leav
ing the poor woman and her de-
fenceless children with no shelter
save the canopy of heaven: This
may have been a military necessity
but it is hard for humane man t.
see it. One Of the vile wretche:
who did it was killed in the roat
{ not far from the scene by one o
Forests command. We wadeC
Chickamauga and Peavine creek:
several times this evening and werc
well wet. Just after dusk we raI
upon the enemy's line and biv
e ouacked for the night. Owing t.
our close proximity to the yankees
we were not allowek to build any
fires and we suffered very mucf
. with cold. Two OF nay ccmrade.
and myself slept together and til,
fellow who slept in the middle wa
the only one who slept warm. I an
: sorry to say | had an outside posi-
ton, and the other outside fellow
I kept pulling the cover all night
and l never suffered with cold NOR,
any night during the war. One o
{ our company took the canteens o
several of the boys and went afte
water. He got lost and going clos
{ to the yanks they fred in the bushe
D where they heard him. He lit gu
making noise with his canteen
coming through the wood tina,
{ would remind one of SUIT. Loven.
goods tin peddler yarn. Poo
Dick, he was captured on the 20tt
I and died in prison. We built bar
ricades that night to keep the cav
Z airy from charging us. The groun(
was white with frost On che marn-
ing of the 18th. The boys used t.
! say that an army mule knew whel
Il battle Was coming on and told i
by an unusual amount OF brayin,
II and squealing. Be this IS it may
Il the mules made the woods rim,
, with their unmusical voices. Tn
u fighting began on our right in tn
: forenoon of the 18th.
THE ENEMY CHARGED
II our line about noon. We repulset
them and drove them back, passin;
through their lines. They tried t.
y flank US, nut failed. Gen. Greg
A. was wounded in this flank fight an,
at one time was in the hands of tn
enemy, but we rescued him. | wit
IS messed here,the only time during tn
# war artillery carried into the charg
e by hand. Bledsoe's men cafriet
II two parrot guns IN the charge AM
d did splendid service with them
II The fight of the 10Th was yer,
: bloody. Col. I. w. Beaumont O
the 50th, and Captains Morgan an'
y Sweeny of the 10th were killed il
!, the first charge of the enemy
u Many of the best men in the com
4 pand were killed, among the mum
It Der poor Jim Reynold, noble DO.
II in the very brightness of yout
: The minnie went through his hear
+, and he never spoke but he died will
q his face to the enemy. Right in tn
= very midst of the battle where tn
SHELLS WERE SCREAMING
: and bursting in their death deal
;, inc tracks an owl and crow cam